Fletcher had a chance to make it two 10 minutes later when another ball over the top beat Millwall’s offside trap, but the angle was tight and Archer beat out his shot at the near post.

But there was nothing Archer could do in the 19th minute when Hammill, the ‘old man’ of this vibrant young Barnsley side at the age of 28, collected the ball on the left wing.

There did not appear to be much on for Hammill, but the former Liverpool youngster cut inside Edwards before unleashing a stunning 30-yard curler into the top corner.

Millwall refused to lie down, though, and clawed their way back into the match when Barnsley failed to clear Shane Ferguson’s 33rd-minute corner.

Captain Tony Craig scuffed his shot but the ball fell to Beevers, who rolled Tykes defender Marc Roberts before rifling home from six yards.

But events were still conspiring against the Lions, who, after losing Byron Webster to injury in the warm-up, saw fellow defender Joe Martin limp off after suffering a freak calf injury moments before half-time.

They had chances in the second half, not least when Steve Morison rounded Adam Davies and sent in a cross which Aiden O’Brien hit straight at the Tykes keeper.

But their hopes were extinguished in the 74th minute when Conor Hourihane swung in a corner and Isgrove leapt highest to nod in at the near post.